Presenting our Protect Te Aka Whai Ora Petition to Parliament

Photo: Denis Came-Friar

Yesterday STIR: Stop Institutional Racism quietly went to parliament and presented our petition signed by 18,276 New Zealand citizens in solidarity with Te Aka Whai Ora. We presented the petition to Māori public health advocate and Green party MP Huhana Lyndon.

We realise we have lost the fight to retain Te Aka Whai Ora but are aware the Coalition government has yet to articulate what is the alternative peak body for Māori health. We went to parliament to say we care about Māori health and want to see investment in Māori health. We want to see Māori leadership across the health sector at all levels. We want to see an end to ethnic health inequities. We want to see Te Tiriti o Waitangi responsibilities embraced and fulfilled.

Earlier in the year we published a Critical Tiriti Analysis paper in the New Zealand Medical Journal outlining  our scholarly argument why the disestablishment of Te Aka Whai Ora was a breach of Te Tiriti. These matters will be resolved by the Waitangi Tribunal, but meantime it is the lives of Māori that are being put at risk by the inaction of our government in terms of Māori health.

We note that urgent inquiries continue before the Waitangi Tribunal investigating alleged breaches of Te Tiriti. We note current Vote Health funding to Māori health providers remains at a meagre 2.48%. Given the unmet health need of Māori, this level of investment is undervaluing of Māori lives is deeply problematic, inequitable and breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. 

I studied political science at university and have always been interested in power – who has it, who hasn’t and who is benefitting from the status quo. At the moment it is Pākehā that are are receiving better quality and quantity of health services from our overburdened health system.

It is great that citizens can turn up on the forecourt of parliament and express our dismay, anger, frustration at the actions of our government. I worked hard to promote the petition and mobilise folk to sign it but yesterday I was supposed to be in the backrow and instead I ended up with the microphone. It is relatively safe for me to do this as a Pākehā women, but in the current conditions it is not necessarily safe for my Māori colleagues.

I did my best as our spokesperson trying to articulate the issues of the day. I proudly wore my STIR t-shirt and kōtahitanga beanie but was not dressed for media interviews or meeting politicians. Resistance to injustice takes many forms. Yesterday it was about representing for the 18, 276 people who signed our petition.

Thanks to our union comrades who joined us on the day because you know what solidarity and fellowship means. Kia kaha to all the Crown officials that signed our petition but weren’t in a position to stand with us on the parliament forecourt – I felt you with us. Thanks to my STIR mate who made a beautiful box to present our petition in and as always the photographer who captured the moment.

When we see injustice as Tāngata Tiriti it is our responsibility to step up and challenge it. Sometimes that is signing a petition, sometimes it is making a banner, sometimes it is teaching, sometimes it is baking, sometimes it is writing a paper, a submission, or evidence brief; other times you are the person with the microphone. This is the life of an activist scholar.